There is continuing interest in reducing vehicle weight. One approach to weight reduction has been the substitution of higher strength-to-weight sheet materials for the steels and aluminum alloys now commonly used in vehicle construction.
The low density and reasonable strength of magnesium and alloys containing, for example, 85% by weight or more of magnesium, make them attractive candidates for such material substitution. However, magnesium alloys are not as ductile as steel and aluminum and so stamping or shaping such sheet magnesium alloys into the complex shapes of components in common use may be challenging. While the ductility of magnesium alloys may be enhanced by deformation at temperatures appreciably above room temperature, say 250° C. or higher, such practices complicate and slow the forming process.
What is required is a method of enhancing the room temperature formability or ductility of magnesium to expand and extend the use of magnesium sheet alloys in high volume vehicle production.